Constructing a green or sustainable building or another structure is a complex process that requires significant amounts of time, resources, and collaboration from many fields of endeavor. Through the years, different techniques have been developed to try to maximize the efficiency and economy of the process. The most common current building techniques involve the use of standardized building components that are shipped to the construction site in small pieces and assembled on site.
However, when such methods are used, a green or sustainable building or other structure can take months or even years to build. The building project is consequently subjected to unpredictable weather conditions, and great exertions must be made to store and protect tools and resources. Resources may be wasted. Furthermore, even though efficient modern assembly techniques have driven down prices for many industrial and consumer products—such as cars, machinery, clothing, and electronics—such techniques are not fully taken advantage of in constructing green or sustainable buildings. Overall, the current methods lose the potential benefits of quality, precision, efficiency, and optimal timing that are possible through the manufacture of modular building segments in a controlled environment as described herein.
In view of the foregoing, what is needed is a green or sustainable and efficient building design that will allow the main infrastructure of a building or another structure to be manufactured in a controlled off-site environment and then be transported to a building site and quickly assembled on site to form the finished building or other structure. Such a technique would need to preserve or improve the structural integrity of the building, use efficient building techniques, provide for efficient temperature control and access to utilities within the building, and optimize the use of resources by integrating the infrastructure into the overall functionality of the building. Furthermore, unlike current modular green or sustainable building systems, such a building design should allow for an infinite variety of configurations to appeal to myriad preferences and needs.